Cubs reliever Drew Smyly won't return for stretch run

Chicago Cubs left-handed reliever Drew Smyly, who is still recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in June 2017, has been shut down for the season, the team announced Monday.

Smyly was throwing simulated games against Cubs hitters in July and hoped to go on a rehab assignment in the minors by Aug. 1. But his recovery hit some snags, and he never made the rehab starts.

"We felt it was more important to end his season to get him the right amount of rest moving forward, so we took it out of his hands," said Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein. "He felt strongly about wanting to push through and contribute."

Smyly was signed to a two-year, $10 million deal in the offseason with the expectation that he would be fully recovered in 2019 and the hope that he might be able to come back late this season to help in the stretch run.